Research on monkeypox wins the 2022 João Monjardino Award

The 2022 João Monjardino Award was given to researcher Joana Isidro, lead author of the article"Phylogenomic characterization and signs of microevolution in the 2022 multi-country outbreak of monkeypox virus" [Phylogenomic characterization and signs of microevolution in the 2022 international outbreak of monkeypox virus], which was published in the journal Nature Medicine. The award will be presented at a ceremony on a date to be announced shortly.

This paper, published on June 24, 2022, explores the possible causes of the recent monkeypox outbreak (first case reported in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2022), which was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (on July 23, 2022), and proposes an explanation for why the outbreak spread worldwide in early 2022. More than 16,500 cases were reported in at least 74 countries over two months (in 2022), compared to fewer than 1,000 cases reported in the previous four years (mainly in Africa).

Joana Isidro has a master's degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics and is part of the Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit of the Infectious Diseases Department at the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA). The researcher is involved in multiple national and international collaborations, including several projects under the One Health European Joint Program initiative. Since 2020, she has been continuously involved in the genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and, more recently, in the study of the Monkeypox virus in Portugal.

The João Monjardino Award 2022 was dedicated to the theme "Viral Diseases: Epidemiology, Etiopathogenesis, and Control," with the purpose of distinguishing the best article published on the proposed theme, addressing research results carried out by a researcher under the age of 35 at the date of submission of the application, at an institution within the national scientific and technological system.

The João Monjardino Award is a joint initiative of the Francisco Pulido Valente Foundation and the Foundation for Science and Technology, which aims to stimulate research, experimental development, and innovation in the field of Biomedical Sciences and Health by recognizing the merit of scientific and technological activities carried out in this field. The prize is worth €10,000, shared equally by the two foundations.